


No Matter What

by notjustalittlegirl



Category: The Books of Bayern Series - Shannon Hale
Genre: Angst, F/F, Falada is a car, Family, Homophobia, Protective Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-21 11:14:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14914343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustalittlegirl/pseuds/notjustalittlegirl
Summary: On a visit home for her brother's graduation, Isi wants to hide her relationship with Enna from her mother. Things don't quite go as planned.





	No Matter What

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't really edit this, so...
> 
> I don't own the Books of Bayern, and I am not making any money off of this. Please don't sue me.
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

Isi had always hated visiting her family. 

Ever since her father died, when she was sixteen, Isi’s mother had made no secret of her preference for each and every one of her children  _ except  _ her eldest. Therefore, said eldest child tried to visit as infrequently as possible.

However, some visits, such as her younger brother Calib’s high school graduation, were unavoidable. 

She had been expecting the graduation announcement, but had been slightly surprised to find the invitation to his graduation party that had been included in the envelope. 

As much as Isi wanted to avoid her mother, the temptation to see her younger siblings and family friends was too much to resist. 

Holding a gift for Calib in one hand and her girlfriend’s hand in the other, Isi exited her old BMW, affectionately named “Falada,” and approached her front door with timid steps. 

“Damn, Isi,” said Enna, in an obvious attempt to calm her girlfriend’s frayed nerves. “I had forgotten you were so rich.” 

If there was one thing Isi loved more than anything else about Enna, it was her girlfriend’s fearlessness. Most women who were about to meet their girlfriend’s family for the first time would be slightly more terrified, especially with all the stories she’d heard about said girlfriend’s mother. 

“Hey, Isi,” said Enna, giving the blonde’s hand a squeeze as she balanced Calib’s gift on her arm and reached for the ominous knocker. “We’ve got this.” 

Isi smiled at Enna, nodded, and then knocked on the door. 

Thankfully, it wasn’t Isi’s mother who answered the door. Instead, it opened to reveal a blonde teenager who looked like Isi in miniature. Her face lit up in a bright smile, and she stepped away from the door quickly so her sister and Enna could enter. 

“Ani!” 

Enna and Isi almost laughed at hearing the latter referred to by her childhood nickname, but Isi instead dropped Enna’s hand in favour of squeezing her younger sister tightly. 

“Oh, Napralina, look at you! You’re so tall, oh my goodness!” 

At the commotion, others were drawn into the foyer, including a blonde woman who looked like an older version of Napralina. 

“Anidori.”

Isi reluctantly let go of Napralina and turned to face her mother, far less eager for this reunion. The two women exchanged a stiff, brief hug.

“It’s lovely to see you, mother.” 

Isi’s sentiments sounded so genuine that only Enna, who knew how much her girlfriend had been dreading this moment, knew how forced they truly were. 

Once Isi and her mother had finished exchanging pleasantries, the older woman gestured towards Enna, still lingering awkwardly beside the door.

“Who’s this?” 

“Mother,” said Isi. “Meet Enna. My best friend.” 

She barely stuttered over the lie that they’d agreed to tell, somewhat reluctantly on Enna’s part. 

“I thought Selia was your best friend.” 

Isi and Enna exchanged a pained look at the mention of Selia, Isi’s former best friend who had turned out to be a complete bitch. 

“No,” said Isi through almost clenched teeth. “Enna.” 

“There’s no need to be so short, Anidori.” 

Isi and Enna exchanged another look. So far, so  _ not  _ good. Stupid Selia. 

“Wait,” said Napralina, a look of confusion making itself known on her face. “I thought Enna was your-” 

Isi stomped on Napralina’s foot before she could breathe another syllable. Thankfully, their mother didn’t seem to have noticed. 

“Ani!” 

Two younger children stampeded into the room, followed by an older boy. 

Enna recognized Calib from the photos on his graduation announcement, and stepped up to shake his hand. “Congratulations, Calib. I hope your sister warned you that she was bringing me. My name is-”

“Enna,” finished the boy for her, smiling. “Don’t worry, Ani told me she was bringing you when she replied to my invitation. Besides, the more the merrier!” 

Calib embraced his sister, maneuvering around the youngest child, who had grabbed on to Isi’s left leg. 

“Hey, Ani. I’m so glad you could come!”

“Wouldn’t miss it! Congratulations, little brother!”

The little boy on Isi’s leg pointed to where Enna stood. “Who’s that?” 

Enna knelt down at Isi’s feet so that she was at eye level with the toddler. “Hi, bud. My name’s Enna. I’m your sister’s friend. What’s your name?”

He waved, still holding onto his oldest sister’s leg. “Hi, Enna. I’m Rianno, and that’s Susena.” Rianno pointed towards the youngest girl, probably around seven or eight years old, still lingering in the doorway. 

Susena waved shyly at Enna, and then she came forward and wrapped her arms around Isi’s waist in a hug. Isi lifted Susena off her feet and gave her a little kiss on the top of her head. 

“Well,” said Calib. “You and Enna are the first ones here. Come on in.” 

Isi, with Rianno still gripping onto her leg and Susena clutching her hand, and Enna followed Calib, Napralina and Isi’s mother into the house. Enna couldn’t deny that she felt out of place in the mansion and, from a look over at Isi, she could tell that her girlfriend did too. 

“Well,” said Isi, whispering into Enna’s ear. “Here we go.”

* * *

 

The party was big, but only a few people there seemed to be people that Calib had invited, or wanted there. The rest had been invited by his mother, friends of hers that were important in some way or another. 

A blond man lingering by the snack table caught Isi’s eye and she grabbed Enna, who had been talking with Napralina, and dragged her over. 

“Talone!” Isi squealed, and jumped into the man’s arms. He lifted her up and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. 

“My beautiful Anidori, how are you?” Talone put her down and gave her another hug.

“I’m wonderful! Talone,” Isi said, remembering Enna standing there awkwardly, “this is Enna. My… girlfriend.” 

The last word was whispered, and Isi immediately whipped her head around to make sure that no one else had heard. Enna stood there in surprise. Isi had begged and pleaded to introduce Enna as her best friend in her hometown, so she must really trust Talone to admit the truth to him. 

Talone stuck out his hand, and Enna shook it.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Talone.” 

He nodded and gave her a smile. “You as well, Enna. I hope I don’t need to warn you to treat my Anidori well.” 

His smile was friendly, but his eyes held the warning that Enna had heard from each one of Isi’s friends: hurt her, and I’ll hurt you. 

“No, sir. I adore Is- Anidori with all my heart.”

“Good.” The warning disappeared from Talone’s eyes, and he turned back to Isi, grilling her about every detail of her life. Enna felt awkward, lingering around Isi while she was having a conversation, and so she meandered away to the other side of the snack table and found Rianno trying to reach the chips on his short legs. 

“Hey, bud. Do you need some help?” 

Rianno nodded, and let Enna lift him up to shove his pudgy little hands in the bowl. As he was shoving his prize into his mouth, a loud noise startled Enna to the point where she almost dropped Rianno, but managed at the last moment to keep him in her arms. 

She put him down and whipped around to see exactly what Isi had been afraid of. Her mother, standing over her and screaming a litany of foul words into her daughter’s face. 

“You fucking worthless child! What the fuck would ever make you think it’s okay to bring your perversion into my house? And in front of your siblings! I always knew there was something wrong with you!”

Isi just stood there, in shock and submission. Enna just stood there, horrified, but knowing that the woman must have heard something in Isi’s conversation with Talone, probably relating to her sexuality, that had set her off.

“Stop it!” Talone stepped in front of Isi and tried to get her mother to stop, but he wasn’t even able to say one word more before she shoved him so hard that he fell to the ground. 

“Talone!” This broke Isi out of her trance, and she dropped down to help Talone up, as her mother continued to scream at her. The tears starting to form on Isi’s face was what finally made Enna move. She made towards the fight, but before she could make a move to stop Isi’s mother- using whatever force or words were necessary- another voice spoke out, and this one made the woman stop in her tracks.

“Mother, stop it!” 

Everything went still as Calib placed himself protectively in front of Isi and Talone. The screaming stopped, and the only sounds audible were those of Napralina trying to soothe Rianno and Susena, no doubt frightened beyond belief to see their mother screaming at their sister. 

Enna used the opportunity to run forward, help Isi get Talone to his feet, and wrap her arms around the other girl. Talone was rubbing the back of his head, which was bleeding slightly from his fall, and Isi was crying quietly.

“Leave her alone.” Calib’s voice was calm, but firm. “There is nothing wrong with Anidori. You’re the one with the problem. Napralina and Susena and Rianno and I all love her, and we want her around, no matter who she loves.”

His mother spluttered angrily. “Calib-”

“No, mother. Stop.”

Without saying another word, she turned around headed for the house, slamming the door behind her. Calib turned to Isi, Enna and Talone. 

“Ani, are you alright?” 

Isi shook her head into Enna’s chest, then took a deep breath and faced her brother. “No. But I will be. Thank you, Calib.” 

Calib gave her a hug, and then Isi’s arms were suddenly full of all four of her younger siblings in various stages of crying. 

“Calib’s right, you know,” said Susena in a quiet little voice. “We all love you, no matter what mommy says.” 

“And we love you too,” said Talone, gesturing to himself, Enna, and the rest of the people who had gathered around to watch the confrontation. “And we’re here for you.”

“Thank you, everyone,” said Isi in a teary voice. “I love all of you.”

She turned to Enna. “I’m sorry I didn’t want to tell people you were my girlfriend.”

Enna shushed her. “Oh, love. It’s alright. I understand. Do you…?”

Isi nodded. “We’re going to leave now, if that’s alright. Anyone who wants to come and visit us at our hotel tomorrow is welcome.”

In a flurry of hugs, Isi and Enna made their way to the car, upset but uplifted by the love of Isi’s friends and family.  


End file.
